1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plug with a replaceable fuse. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plug with an easily replaceable fuse.
2. Description of Related Art
A common plug may cause a problem that a conductive cord or an electrical appliance is burnt out due to the excessively large output power of the power source, which is caused by too many electrical appliances being externally connected with the plug. Therefore, many manufacturers start to manufacture a plug with a fuse. When too many electrical appliances are externally connected, the fuse in the plug will be burned out first, so as to prevent the conductive cord or the electrical appliance from being burned out, thereby further avoiding dangers.
The conventional plug with a fuse is usually designed as a plug with a replaceable fuse, such that after the fuse is burned out, the user can use a tool to uninstall the fuse and install a new fuse. FIG. 1 shows a plug with a replaceable fuse provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,607. The plug includes an outer housing 10, an inner core 11, a pair of prongs 12 and a pair of conductive cords 13. The pair of conductive cords 13 and the pair of prongs 12 are embedded in the outer housing 10, and extend from the inside of the outer housing 10 towards the outside. The outer housing 10 has a fuse socket opening 100, an inner core opening 101, two button openings 102A, 102B, and a fuse socket cover 103. The fuse socket cover 103 is used for opening or closing the fuse socket opening 100. The outer housing 10 is formed with an inner accommodation room, the inner core 11 is installed to the inner accommodation room of the outer housing 10 through the inner core opening 101. The inner core 11 includes a button 110A, a button 110B, and a fuse socket 111. The fuse socket 111 is used for installing a fuse 14. When the fuse 14 is installed in the fuse socket 111, the pair of prongs 12 is coupled to the fuse 14, and the pair of conductive cords 13 is coupled to the fuse 14. The pair of prongs 12 is used to be inserted into the outlet and receive the power. The pair of conductive cords 13 is used to transmit the power to the electrical appliances connected with the pair of conductive cords 13. The fuse 14 includes a metal wire with a low melting point, once the current load is excessively high, the metal wire is burned out, so as to prevent the electrical appliance and the pair of conductive cords 13 from being burned out. The fuse socket 111 is used for disposing the fuse 14. The fuse socket opening 100 is used to provide an opening for moving in or out the fuse 14. The button 110A extends out of the button opening 102A for pushing the fuse 14 installed in the fuse socket 111, such that the fuse 14 is uninstalled from the fuse socket 111. The button 110B extends out of the button opening 102B for pushing the fuse 14 to the fuse socket 111, such that the fuse 14 is coupled to the pair of conductive cords 13 and the pair of prongs 12.
Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a replacing method for the fuse 14 of the plug in FIG. 1. When it is intended to replace the fuse 14, a tool is needed (for example, an I-shaped screw driver) to open the fuse socket cover 103. Then, the button 110A is pressed to push the fuse 14 away from the fuse socket 111, and the fuse 14 is moved out of the fuse socket opening 100, such that the fuse 14 is uninstalled. Then, the new fuse 14 is disposed into the inner accommodation room, through the fuse socket opening 100, and the button 110B is pressed to push the fuse 14 to the fuse socket 111. The fuse 14 is coupled to the pair of prongs 12 and the pair of conductive cords 13. Finally, the fuse cover 103 is locked in the fuse socket opening 100 by using a tool, so as to accomplish replacing the fuse 14.
Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3A is a top view of a fuse socket cover 103; FIG. 3B is a side view of the fuse socket cover 103; and FIG. 3C is a bottom view of the fuse socket cover 103. The fuse socket cover 103 includes a groove 103A, a group of bumps 103B. The outer housing 10 is disposed with a group of bump grooves for being engaged with the group of bumps 103B, so as to fix the fuse socket cover 103 in the fuse socket opening 111. An I-shaped screw driver is used to rotate the groove 103A to open the fuse socket cover 103 from the fuse socket opening 100 or fix the fuse socket cover 103 in the fuse socket opening 100, so the fuse socket cover 103 can achieve a function of opening and closing the fuse socket opening 100.
FIG. 4 shows a plug with a replaceable fuse provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,627. The plug includes an outer housing 20, a pair of prongs 22 and a pair of conductive cords 23. The outer housing 10 is formed with a plurality of inner accommodation rooms for disposing a fuse 24 and for embedding the pair of prongs 22 and the pair of conductive cords 23. The outer housing is formed with a fuse socket opening 200, and has a fuse cover 203 for opening or closing the fuse socket opening 200. The fuse cover 203 includes two arc-shaped notches 203A and a pair of fuse engaging components 203B. The pair of fuse engaging component 203 form a fuse socket 211. The fuse engaging component 203B is used for fixing the fuse 24 in the fuse socket 211. The pair of conductive cords 23 and the pair of prongs 22 are embedded in the outer housing 20, and extend from the inside of the outer housing 20 towards the outside. When the fuse 24 is installed in the fuse socket 211, and when the fuse socket opening 200 is covered with the fuse cover 203, the pair of prongs 22 and the pair of conductive cords 23 are coupled to the fuse 24. The pair of prongs 22 is used for being inserted in the outlet and receiving power. The pair of conductive cords 23 is used for transmitting the power to the electrical appliances connected with the pair of conductive cords 23. The fuse 24 includes a metal wire with a low melting point, once the current load is excessively high, the metal wire is burned out, so as to prevent the electrical appliance and the pair of conductive cords 23 from being burned out. The fuse socket opening 200 is used to provide an opening for moving in or out the fuse 24. The fuse socket cover 203 is used for opening or closing the fuse socket opening 211. When it is intended to replace the fuse 24, a tool is used to pull up or pry the fuse socket cover 203 from the arc-shaped notch 203A, and thus the fuse socket cover 203 is taken off from the fuse socket opening 211. Then the fuse 24 on the fuse socket cover 203 is taken off from the fuse socket 211. Then, a new fuse 24 is disposed in the fuse socket 211, and the fuse socket opening 200 is covered with the fuse socket cover 203, so as to accomplish the replacing of the fuse 24.
Based on the above, a tool is required for the conventional plug with a replaceable fuse to replace the fuse in the plug. If the plug with a replaceable fuse is externally connected with excessive electrical appliances, the internal fuse is burned out, it is inconvenient for the user having no tools at hand, who needs to replace the fuse of the plug as soon as possible. Therefore, a plug with a replaceable fuse is provided in the present invention, which is capable of ejecting, pushing, pulling, dragging the fuse out of the fuse socket merely through simple pressing or directly dragging by hand, without requiring a tool for installing or uninstalling.